Older and wiser they say
by HuddyJibbsAddict
Summary: OQ Prompt Party 199:Robin & Regina fall in love in their 50's. Loosely inspired by the TV show Major Crimes, oneshot, rated M


_A/N: So this should have been my prompt for the last day of the OQ Prompt Party but it kind of took a life of its own, and then work got in the way. Anyhow, it's finally done and I thought I should share. Loosely inspired by another of my favourite shows, Major Crimes. Prompt 199 Robin & Regina fall in love in their 50's. A big thanks to my darling Manon, Lolymoon here for her beta work! Enjoy and tell me what you think!_

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 **Older and wiser they say**

Life works in strange ways, Robin Locksley reflects as he spins the little blue velvet box in his hand, waiting for _her_ to come home. Her, Regina Mills, his boss, a thorn in his side for the longest time, but who has become, in an inexplicable and quite wonderful twist of fate, the one person he can't imagine spending the rest of his life without.

No one could have ever imagined that the troublesome, recovered alcoholic Lieutenant from Homicide, and the by-the-book Evil Queen from Internal Affairs would ever end up living together, least of all the two concerned parties.

They both have been working for the Storybrooke Police Department for longer than they care to admit. Regina graduated from the Academy a couple of years after Robin did. He first met her on a memorable occasion, on the scene of a robbery turned bad. She and her partner and mentor were the first responders, while Robin, recently assigned to Homicide, and his own partner had been handed the case. One moment, Robin was listening to the coroner give him his preliminary report, the next he was standing between his Lieutenant and the brunette officer, who looked like they were ready to come to blows. As the situation diffused, he found out that Officer Mills had given her own report of what they had seen and done on the scene, and had offered some insights into a couple of other robberies which happened in the neighbourhood with the same M.O, minus the dead body, but his Lieutenant had dismissed her, and told her partner to be careful and keep her on a leash. She hadn't appreciated his "ancient, set in his ways, chauvinistic pig" attitude (her words), and things had escalated from there.

Robin was impressed, no one had ever stood up to his fossil of a Lieutenant in living memory. This young officer sure showed promise, if her mentor was to be believed, she would go far. They crossed paths here and there, but there was never much time to linger. Beyond the fact that she was extremely smart and sharp-witted, and could make the uniform work for her in ways that would make his and his colleagues' pants just a bit tighter than was comfortable, Robin didn't know much about her.

It changed the night when Robin got acquainted at a bar with one Daniel Colter, who, he quickly figured out, after the young lawyer began to drunkenly brag about his hotshot cop wife who'd be Chief of Police one day, was Regina's husband. One night turned into several, and the two drinking buddies started talking about introducing their wives to each other. Robin shakes himself, putting the memories away as the condo's door open and Regina enters. He left the office an hour before she did, she was wrapping up their case with the District Attorney and had sent everyone home. While he would normally wait for her, this time he needed some time to set up his surprise.

"There you are," he exclaims. "Everything ok?" He frowns, seeing the exhaustion radiating from her. He helps her take off her coat and presses a kiss to her brow, as she chucks away her shoes with a sigh of relief.

"It all worked out as planned," she confirms, turning in his arms, wrapping her hands around his biceps in a familiar greeting. "You looked deep in thought when I came in, are _you_ alright?"

Robin shrugs. "Just thinking, about how we got where we are. Sometimes it feels like we wasted a lifetime finding each other."

Regina smiles at him, and it never ceases to be a satisfying feeling to draw it out of her. They may be over fifty but the years have been kind to her, and the lines around her eyes only make her more enticing to him, showing the traces of a full life. "It has certainly been a wild ride, hasn't it?" She says, and he snorts because isn't that the understatement of the year?

"Do you remember that barbecue, way back then, with you and Daniel, Marian and I, and the kids? What were we even thinking?" He recalls, shaking his head, remembering the awkwardness of this first meeting for their wives. While Robin and Daniel were busy making their way through a six-pack, and then another, their sons oblivious, happy to meet and play, Regina and Marian had felt like looking in a mirror, and the sensation wasn't pleasant for either of them. Denial always feels more comfortable than being confronted to the cold, harsh reality.

"I don't think you were, actually," her smile morphs into something softer, fighting the sadness that always come with the memories, no matter how long ago it happened.

Robin brings her closer to him, encircling her waist, squeezing her tighter. "We were just two drunk idiots who took too much for granted. I look back and I can barely recognize the person I was." His self-disgust would never really go away.

She looks confused. "You're in a strange mood tonight. What has you so contemplative?"

He exhales. "I'm sorry, that's not what I have planned for the evening."

"Planned?" She repeats, eyebrows arching.

His lips stretch in a real smile, his dimples on show. "Yes, Milady, I know you're not a big fan of surprises, but I've got something special prepared for you, and I think you're going to like it."

"Well, now I'm curious, if not also apprehensive," she deadpans.

"Have I ever given you any reason to fear my surprises?" He asks in all seriousness. "You probably shouldn't answer that," he adds, when she seems to hesitate between giving him a chronological or alphabetical list. "How does a relaxing bath sound instead?"

They have known each other for close to thirty years, and he still has that same boyish grin. It gave her pause back then, it's close to impossible for her to resist now.

"You always know just what to say. Let's see what you have in store for me then," she replies and lets him guide her to the bathroom.

Steam, flickering flames and the sweet scent of roses from her favourite bubble bath welcome her.

"You really went all out. Should I be worried? What have you and that troublesome partner of yours been up to that necessitates this, _Lieutenant_?" She wonders, emphasizing his rank, as she faces him, arms akimbo and head tilted, studying him intently.

Anyone else would be offended by such a reaction to what is essentially a romantic gesture, but he guesses that it's fair concern on her part. He and John, his partner and oldest friend on the force, are prone to attract trouble when left to their own devices for too long. When she was still part of Internal Affairs, Regina spent more time investigating their various shenanigans than anyone else's in the Department. Their personal files alone filled a whole cabinet; the price to pay when when you're ready to walk the line to get results, as far as Robin was concerned, and if that gave him the opportunity to ogle a certain brunette and provoke that infamous temper of hers, well, he was but a simple man after all, with simple needs. There was never a better occasion to get into trouble than when she was on call.

"You wound me, Captain," he states, placing his hand over his heart to accentuate how hurt he is pretending to be, the teasing sparkle in his eyes diminishes the effect though. "I will remind you that ever since you and I are dating, I have been on my best behaviour. John thinks I need a psych evaluation, but I just think he is jealous because I have left the sandbox and started playing in a whole other league. I'm still trying to convince him that girls don't have cooties."

His friend is a bit of a cad, a serial divorcee who has never been able to choose between his love for women and his love for his job, he has tried again and again to make it work, but compromise isn't exactly in his nature, so instead of changing jobs, he goes from one wife to the next, and from one date to the next in between. Finding out that Robin wanted to pursue a relationship with The Evil Queen herself -even if she was already their boss by then and they had warmed up to her-, was a bit of a shock. The word "Idiot" and the phrase "What are you even thinking?" were pronounced more than once, still are.

Regina seems to debate between her skepticism and her amusement at his antics. She emits a sound that is a weird mix of a hum and a snort, so uniquely hers that it never fails to make him grin like the Cheshire Cat. "Alright, we'll say I believe you, and this is a genuine gesture," she concedes, slowly opening the buttons of her blazer. "What's the occasion?"

"Can't it just be that I love you and want to treat you every once in awhile?" He suggests.

"So you really won't say anything?" She insists.

"Nope, and there is nothing you can do to make me talk. Now this is supposed to be a relaxing moment for you, so are you going to enjoy it, or are you going to discuss my motives until the water gets cold?" He inquires, and she drops her blazer to the ground in reply with a shrug. "That's more like it, I knew you could be reasonable," he teases, and she rolls her eyes at him while taking off her shirt. "Do you need help with that?"

"Depends, are you joining me or not?" Her blouse joins her blazer, and she stands in front of him in a lacy, flimsy excuse of a bra and her black slacks.

"Now that's an offer I can't refuse." He will probably consider it his greatest achievement that she now feels so comfortable around him. They have taken things slow, building a solid friendship before it became glaring that there was more simmering under the surface. Of course, everyone around them saw it before they could admit it to themselves, and thought they were just being secretive. The truth is Regina's marriage left her with insecurities so deeply rooted that it took every inch of Robin's patience to help her lower the walls she had built to protect herself.

Both Robin and Daniel had hit bottom at roughly the same time. While Marian threw Robin out and changed the locks on him, giving him the necessary electroshock to get his act back together, Daniel had added gambling to the drinking and had contracted debts so huge there was no way he could repay them. When the creditors began to close in on him, he hit the road with what was left of the family's savings, leaving Regina to deal with his mess, and glue back together the pieces of her son's broken heart. For good measure, right before leaving, Daniel openly flaunted some floozy in a bar many of Storybrooke PD patronised.

The whispers and her precarious situation pushed Regina to take a position in Internal Affairs, the more stable hours allowing her to be present for Henry after school, the risks that came with being out on the streets diminishing considerably. She had just become a single mother, she couldn't take any chances. It was also the quickest way for her to achieve rank in a Unit that was being rebuilt after a series of wildly advertised cases of corruption covered by the previous Chief of Police, Leo Blanchard. Regina's by-the-book approach, her sharp instincts and her hardened exterior did wonder there, and newly appointed Chief Humbert hand-picked her to be part of the committee who would rewrite the rule book. She didn't care that those who had once been close acquaintances started treating her like a nuisance out to make their lives more difficult, she had to do what was necessary to get her head above the water and protect her son, and if she could do some good in the Department by rebuilding the public's trust, well it was a bonus.

Robin tried to quit alcohol on his own, his shame at the idea that anyone would find out that he was so addicted that his wife couldn't stand to have him close and had tossed him on his ass, was too great to bear. Invariably, though, it didn't stick and he would relapse. Being perpetually hungover or in withdrawal had a negative effect on his performances at work, and he knew it wouldn't be long before his hierarchy booted him out the door as well. When Marian served him the divorce papers a few months later, he turned towards Regina. Despite the other police officers' treatment, she had remained fair, especially when they were ready to admit their mistakes and ask for help and guidance. She had had some success with sending officers to rehab programs when their addictions affected their jobs. She wished Daniel had accepted to follow and stick to it as well. When Robin came to her, she handed him the flyer and made the phone calls without judgement, he wanted to do right by his family and she respected that. If he could at least salvage his relationship with his child he would do whatever was necessary.

Robin became too busy with the divorce and the custody battle to care about much else after he got out of rehab. When he saw Regina again, he was a bit too bitter about the outcome to remember that she was one of the few people who helped him, though it would smooth out over time. She was part of the Rat Squad and that was it, as far as he was concerned there were clear lines not to be crossed.

While Robin was trying to make the most of the few weekends and vacation she got with his son to make up for being such a tosser, Regina was still hanging on to the hope that Daniel would clean up his act and come home. He did, almost crawling on his knees, begging Regina to take him back, swearing he was clean and ready to do better. She believed him. She had sacrificed her relationship with her family for this man, he was the father of her son and she did love him. Blindly. But Daniel's old demons eventually dragged him back down into gambling. When Regina couldn't accept his failings anymore and chose to put her son and herself first, she denied Daniel access to her bed. He threw a fit. How was he supposed to make up for everything if she didn't give them a proper chance? How was he supposed to make good his losses when she didn't support him? It was no wonder he couldn't stay sober, who could with such a cold and unyielding wife? Over and over, he played on every weak spot Regina had, and by the next day he was packed up and out the door for the hundredth time, taking his wife's last illusions with him.

She had started to believe him, her husband had his flaws, there was no doubt about that, but there must be something wrong with her too that drove him away again and again. No matter what her son and her friends told her, she was convinced that Daniel was right. There was a shift in her behaviour from then on, and the Evil Queen was born.

She was a Captain by then, and induced fear in the heart of grown men and women when she showed up on crime scenes involving officers discharging their weapons, she could make them shake in their boots even when they knew they were in the right. Her team adored her, but she had no patience for anyone else. Her separation was more or less known to everyone in the Department, she had taken off her wedding ring after Daniel pretty much told her he was done with her, but she pushed away any potential suitors. In spite of it all she was _still_ a married woman. The truth is that it was convenient to play the married card. No commitment was expected. It was an efficient way to keep people at bay.

While still in Homicide, Robin had occasional runs in with Captain Mills, managing to piss her off a little more each time. She had sent him to every existing seminars more than once, sensitivity and anger management being her favorites.

Things changed when Robin and his friend John were selected to be part of a new, elite squad dealing with high profile cases. Regina was appointed as their new commanding officer after their previous Chief had departed on account of a very difficult case, in which too many mistakes were made.

Captain Regina Mills' ascension was not taken well by the squad, especially by John who was the senior Lieutenant on the Team and should have logically taken the lead. Once the shock passed, the outrage set in. How were they expected to do their job when the person in charge had no experience dealing with the kind of investigations they came across?

That's what most of the team thought anyway. They knew her only from Internal Affairs, they had never seen the young patrol officer standing up to an old Lieutenant to have her voice and opinion heard because she had seen something he had obviously missed, they had never seen her commandeer the whole attention of a joint team from Vice and Homicide, they had never seen her in the field. No matter his differences with her over the years, Robin never forgot what he saw in her all those years ago.

John gave her a hard time, viciously and bitterly pointing out her shortcomings, but for once Robin couldn't support his partner, he had been had by the higher ups sure, but after everything Regina had done for the Department it was time she finally found herself in a place where she could express her real talents. Robin was fascinated by the way her brain worked, how quickly she could make connections, how fast she learned to rely on each team member's skills. Their former Chief had always been very hand on during every case, micromanaging every aspect, but Regina trusted them to do their job and knew when to offer a new perspective when they became stuck.

The case that led to the change in leadership was still ongoing, there would be a trial, and their only witness needed to be protected. Peter, from all his sixteen years of age, was a handful, a wary boy who had seen and gone through too much. He had trusted the former Chief, she had protected him, but now she was gone. Regina stepped in, and took him in, revealing to all who could see that, despite the hardships, there was one thing Daniel hadn't taken from her: Regina was a mother through and through. She saw this young boy, and didn't care about his past, about what he had to do to survive on the streets, she didn't even care that he was a witness, he was just a boy, in need of a safe place and decent people to give him a chance.

Robin was reminded of barbecues and little leagues games, of a joyful Henry throwing himself in his mother's arms, knowing that she would catch him. She was so different from her Captain persona around Peter, he was difficult, but little by little he opened up, they made progress, and they all could see the effect it had on both of them. It wasn't difficult to understand why her team at Internal Affairs worshipped the ground she walked on.

Before he knew it, Robin had become her staunchest supporter, the first one to volunteer to accompany her to the morgue, the first one to try and drag her out of her office for a celebratory gathering at the local joint, (though he always ordered a club soda as being sober meant he was always John's designated driver). She turned to him when she had doubt, either about the right way to proceed in a case, or about the best way to handle an issue with Peter.

They were friends, friends who cared for each other's well-being. When Roland decided to get married and wanted both his father and stepfather by his side, Regina was the one who prevented Robin from throwing a fit. She sat him down and asked what he really wanted: his son's happiness at the idea that he could share this day with his whole family, or to get his way. The answer was obvious, and, in the same breath as he gave it, he invited her to come along. She was stunned but accepted readily.

There was no turning back from there, once he had seen her standing among his relatives, a huge, bright smile on her face, in that indigo dress, with a zipper running along her back, stopping in the middle of her thighs in an enticing slit, he was a goner. He had to focus hard during their dance to keep his fingers from playing with the zipper. He knew then that, if she ever considered it, he would be ready for more than friendship.

She wasn't quite there yet. It took another disastrous visit from Daniel to finally make her see that, though they had had their issues and it took two people to break a marriage, it was his addictions and his inability to take responsibility for them that drove them to an impasse. There was nothing wrong with her, but there was a lot of things wrong with them, and she couldn't let him pull her away from potential happiness when he could never give it to her, not in the long run anyway.

Mallory, Regina's best friend and the lawyer who had made sure that Daniel could never hurt her finances again, threw a party when Regina asked her to draft the divorce papers, and the day she received the official notice that her marriage was over, Robin asked Regina on a date. She was hesitant, they had found a good balance, and she didn't want to risk their friendship with a romantic entanglement that could burn them both, but in the end wasn't it exactly what she was looking for when she had decided to send Daniel away for good?

A few dates, a few months with nothing more than goodnight kisses -they did become quite good at those-, and Robin was pretty sure that he would go insane with want, but he knew he had to be patient; Daniel had cut deep. Regina knew she was a beautiful woman, there had never been any doubt about that, but could any man find her desirable beyond the physical aspect? Could she give him more than sex? Could they build something together that would last through time?

So Robin let her lead the show and set the pace. He wasn't some young block hoping to get laid. He had done the whole flaring passion thing, and it hadn't work out so well for him. He wanted something more than that, so while the sight of her legs could drive him to distraction, he was also able to keep his eyes on hers during a conversation.

The first time she invited him in her room and asked him to spend the night, he thought he was dreaming, but the actual act was much better than any fantasy he had had over the years. He had wanted to punch Daniel for ever letting her believe she couldn't be anything more than a good lay and barely that. As he held her in his arms, he could barely breathe properly, there was no more inhibitions, no hesitation in showing herself completely bare to him. The sands of time had left a few marks here and there, and at just over fifty things couldn't be as they were in their youth, but Robin wouldn't have it any other way. Regina was a real woman, who had lived and suffered and worked hard for everything she had, she understood him in ways none of John's prefered blonde birds ever could.

"You're worrying me. I'm standing here, naked may I add, ready to hop in and cover myself in soap bubbles, and you're standing there, with your shirt still on. Have I already lost my touch?" Robin is pulled out of his contemplation by Regina's question. The tone is meant to be teasing, but the way she is worrying her bottom lip a bit too hard is telling. Despite their progress, there are old wounds that never really heal.

"Oh no, believe me you never have to worry about that," he assures her, pulling his shirt over his head and taking off his pants and underwear in record time.

She squeals and laughs when he lifts her off the ground and carries her into the bathtub. She is breathless by the time he sits behind her, draping her hair over one of his shoulders. "I needed the laugh, but seriously, what's going on with you tonight?"

He collects some foam and spreads it on her stomach, and higher and higher until it covers her breasts, relishing in her soft moans. "I heard some news today, and it got me thinking about the past and the future. I guess I am in a bit of a mood."

"It sounds serious," she contorts her back to look at him properly, a worried frown marring her face.

"No, no," he is quick to set her at ease. "Nothing serious. On the contrary, it's good news, great news even."

"Alright," she says slowly. "Are you going to share it at some point or…" she trails off, and he chuckles, shaking his head, because he is supposed to be the hothead, but she always gives as good as she gets.

"Roland called. Alexandra is pregnant. My boy is going to be a dad," he is still a little astonished by the news. He knew it was bound to happen at some point, but the reality leaves him amazed.

A smile lits up her face, and tears gather in her eyes. "This is fantastic news. Oh my gosh, in a couple of months you'll be a grandpa. I can't imagine the amount of teasing you're going to get from John." She is shaking with laughter at his exaggerated wince.

"The old goat is going to enjoy every minute of it. Lord knows I had my fun when his first grandkid came along," he mutters.

"Now, it's your turn. Oh they are so screwed, you're going to spoil this child rotten!" She exclaims.

"As if you're any better. You dot on them as if they're your own," Robin reminds her, and she can't deny it. "Wasn't it just yesterday that we were watching him get married, you trying very hard not to cry? Or was it me?" He pretends to ponder, knowing very well that she was the one who discreetly pressed a tissue in his hand when it became obvious that the tears weren't going away.

She snorts, shaking her head, before sobering, a wistful smile on her lips. "It seems like it, doesn't it? I don't know if I ever said it, but it was quite the shock to see Roland like this, all grown up, in his suit. He was still as much a sweetheart as I remembered though."

"You two did hit it off quite spectacularly, but then the Locksley men have always had great taste in women, I wouldn't have expected anything else from him."

"You taught him well," she says softly, and the words are full of meaning.

His relationship with his son has been hard fought for. Navigate through Marian's mistrust after he left rehab, and then Roland's rebellious teen years was an everyday challenge, but he held on. He bonded with his son during camping trips in the woods, introducing him to his favourite pastime: archery. Roland loved it, and Robin was never prouder than when his son joined a local club and began competing.

Roland considered becoming a cop, and thus a legacy, but for the first time both his mother and father joined forces to dissuade him. Instead, he taught archery, and later opened a business that offered to his clients unique survivalistic experiences in the wild. Alexandra was one such client, having booked a trip with friends from College, and when it was time to go home she went back to Florida just long enough to pack her stuff and returned to throw her arms around a waiting Roland at the airport.

"He is a great kid, it's not his fault he was stuck growing up with a crappy father," Robin presses a kiss to Regina's shoulder, focusing his eyes on the bare skin to avoid her gaze.

She sighs and rests her head against his bent one. "At least, you cared enough to prove right by him, and look at the two of you now. You're so close and supportive of each other." She never could let him downplay the huge efforts he had done to become the father Roland deserved, it was something she had dreamed for years to see for Henry. "I know how important Roland's opinion was for you when we started this, and still is."

Robin can only nod, before letting out an unexpected chuckle that jostles Regina a bit. She looks back at him with raised eyebrows.

"Remember his face when we showed up together at the church?" He asks, squeezing her tighter in his arms as the memory causes her to grin widely.

The boy had encouraged his father to find someone to share his life with for years, he even had set him up on a couple of blind dates. As Robin appeared at his wedding with Regina on his arm, Roland's jaw had gone a bit slack. Turns out he remembered her from back in the day, and had heard about her over the years from Henry.

"I do recall it. You never told me what he said after I sat down and you stood with him at the altar, I don't think I have ever seen quite so stunned before or since."

Robin chortles. "He said that Henry would have a field day with that little bit of news. I was surprised they were still in contact, and he was all 'Cops's kids have to stick together', and then the little brat actually elbowed me and said 'Way to go, Dad". I mean the gall of this kid."

"I wonder where he gets it from," Regina teases, biting her bottom lip.

"Cheeky," Robin gently bumps his nose into hers.

"It is the truth though. That son of yours may look like Marian, but for the rest he is all you. I'm kind of glad about that," she whispers against his lips.

 _He doesn't only look like Marian_ , Robin thinks. It never fails to warm his insides to see them together, his boy and Regina. People sometimes take them for mother and son, and he gets it, with their dark curls and deep brown eyes they are a sight to behold.

Seeing him with Henry draws a similar reaction from Regina. Her pride and joy, who she tried her best to shelter from the troubles between his parents. She hid her tears and gave him all the love his father couldn't. She realized he always knew when he left for College and a Literature Degree and started writing. It was just for him in the beginning, a sort of self-help guide for growing up without a dad worthy of the name, but his roommate had stumbled upon it, read it, and found it so brilliant he asked if he could share it with a publisher friend of his family.

Not really understanding what had happened to him, Henry had become a best-seller writer at barely twenty, and he didn't stop there. None of the books that followed though, meant as much to him as the first one, the one in which he poured his life story and inscribed a five words dedication: "Thank you Mom, for everything."

Regina had received the first printed copy and promptly burst into tears that didn't stop falling until she finished her reading.

Robin had never seen her so nervous as the day she introduced him to Henry. She had told her son a bit of his history, and she was afraid he would accuse her of repeating old patterns, but Henry had surprised them both by asking only two questions: Was he serious about his sobriety and was he serious about his relationship with Regina?

Robin showed him the chip and the ring from AA that never leave him, and told him that he had thought about their relationship long and hard enough to have left any doubt by the door of her building when he picked her up for their date. It seemed to satisfy the boy. Robin guessed he probably knew enough about them from Roland to have formed an opinion, and only wanted to confirm it. They got along pretty well, and it was him Henry called when he was nervous about inviting Violet, the cute brunette working at the bookstore down the street from his apartment, out to diner.

When he came back to Storybrooke on vacation, taking a break from his writing and his busy life in New York, Violet was with him, and Robin got a little choked up as Henry told Violet that he was the closest thing he had ever known to a decent dad. He spied Regina sniffling and brushing off a lone tear too.

Their children will always be their priority, and it's something they talked about early on, but both boys repeatedly reassured them that this relationship was probably the best thing that could have happened to them, and they encourage it. Even Peter, this boy who unexpectedly came to her, all grown and more than a little snippy, who always groans and complains if he catches them doing anything more than standing three feet away from each other, refers to them as "the parental unit".

"Roland wanted to know when Henry's next book is due. It's about fairytales, right? They want to read it to the baby."

Regina smirks. "He may want to wait to have read it himself first. Henry has decided to do this in a very untraditional way. He is focusing on the villains in the stories. What drove them to become this way? What if all those worlds were just one place and the people in them were connected? It's quite intriguing, and he has gotten very positive feedback, it seems to be something his readers crave."

"I don't know where he gets this stuff, but I'm sure it will be brilliant, as usual," he praises.

Regina beams at this, on her son's behalf. "Oh, and there is a part you should love. The common thread, you see, the one that links everything together, is the story of the Evil Queen," she finishes her sentence with a mischievous smile, the tip of her tongue peeking between her teeth.

"You have always been your son's greatest source of inspiration," Robin replies playfully. "Though I might be to blame for that particular monicker."

"You think?" One day, she is certain her eyes will remain stuck, given how much she rolls them at him.

He only shrugs, shameless. "Well, what can I say, if the shoe fits…" He trails off, grinning when she scoffs. "How much did he use your story for this, hmm? Will I find out any of your dark secrets?" He asks, softly caressing her bent, right leg with the tips of his fingers, rising higher and higher towards the sensitive skin of her inner thigh with each stroke.

"Hmmm," Regina moans, arching back. "You're trying to distract me into revealing more than I should?" She exhales.

"Is it working?" He whispers in her ear, the thumb of his left hand rubbing soothing circles beneath her breasts.

"Maybe, I'm not completely sure yet," she breathes out.

"I must not do it right, then," his fingers tease her labia and pass over her clit quickly, drawing a groan of protest from her. "Better?" He asks, pressing his thumb more firmly against her clit, rubbing it in circular movements, while his index traces the length of her entrance.

"Much," she lets out. "I don't know a lot about what he wrote, he said he wants to surprise me, but he did admit that there is a very important relationship between the Queen and a shapeshifting sorceress who hates not being invited to christenings," she pants as he increases the rhythm of his strokes, his index's first knuckle slowly entering her, gathering a wetness that had nothing to do with the bathwater, and lazily spreading it up and down.

"Like Maleficent in the Disney movie?" Robin frowns, puzzled, pausing in his movements until Regina arches her hips impatiently, the water sloshing around them. "Oh, could it be the answer to the mystery of _your_ relationship with Mallory, our very own Dragon Lady?"

"We have known each other since High School and were roommates in College, whatever do you think happened between us?" She is getting frustrated with the way he is digressing from where she needs him to focus his attention.

"Oh my mind is swirling with the possibilities," he bites his bottom lip, smirking as she grabs his hand to pick up the pace. Her index slides alongside his and inside her.

She groans in relief. "I would appreciate it if you could live your little fantasy while concentrating on what you're doing."

"But my fantasy is so much fun." He nibbles her lobe playfully.

"As is having an orgasm," she counters in all seriousness. "You promised me a relaxing bath, and I'm far from being relaxed."

"We must remedy that then." He is only too eager to please, and words fail her when he -finally- speeds his movements.

The sounds she lets out are positively sinful. "If our colleagues knew how wanton you can be, I'm sure they would have a radically different opinion about you," he sighs softly.

"Won't find out," she gasps, rolling her hips to meet his fingers' thrusts. "You value your life too much."

He chuckles. "That's true. I also know how much of a lucky bastard I am, and I don't share."

She twists her head, and grabs the back of his to bring their lips together. "Less talking, more focus."

"Yes, Captain," he agrees, before kissing her. He soon feels the vibrations of her moans as he finds the spot that will bring her release.

"Oh right there," she whimpers. "That's it, yes. Such talented hands."

"I do my best." He is knuckle deep inside her, his two fingers alternating between scissoring and pressing against hers, his other hand cupping her breast, his lips at her jaw, her neck, her shoulder. He shifts behind her, uncomfortable with her wriggling against his arousal, but this is not about him and they have all night for more, he just wants to help her wash the day away.

Regina's orgasm almost takes her by surprise in its intensity, her legs thrashing about, some water splashing over the tub, before leaving her listless and boneless in Robin's arms.

"Has your Lieutenant done an adequate job relaxing you, Captain?" He asks her, after letting her come down for a few moments, while gently stroking her stomach.

"You could say that. Maybe I should just keep you here as my sex slave, at least the rumor mill would have something concrete to talk about." She is still panting a bit, but she feels wonderfully languid.

He chuckles. "You won't find me objecting to that. I can just imagine the team's faces as we announce to them that I'm retiring to satisfy your every desire."

She bursts out laughing. "Oh I'm picturing it right now! It sounds better and better by the minute." Her stomach chooses that moment to grumble loudly.

"Well, talking about satisfying your desires, I guess this means you need diner," Robin comments, amused at her sheepish expression. "I will leave you to your shower, and I will put the finishing touch to the next part of the evening." He begins to stand, but she stops him.

"But you didn't…" She starts to protest and he pecks her lips softly.

"We have plenty of time for that, I'm not even nearly done with you. Just enjoy your moment, and join me in the dining room when you're ready."

She smiles contentedly at him, and makes no secret of checking him out as he rises, removes the plug and lets the water empty out slowly. He quickly rinses off, and gets out of the tub.

Regina takes her sweet time going under the spray, watching Robin dry himself out the corner of her eyes. When he starts speaking again, it takes her a few seconds to make sense of the words.

"What?" She asks him to repeat, and he smirks, aware of the cause of her distraction.

He wraps his towel around his hips, his grin widening when she pouts, but his thoughts are more serious. "I asked if you ever felt as if you're settling. This, us, it came so soon after your divorce, I sometimes wonder if maybe it wasn't too fast, if I should have given you more time to sort out your thoughts and feelings."

She is once more puzzled at his strange attitude. "Robin, if you think for one second that I started this relationship without having thought long and hard about every possible scenario, you must not know me very well. I am the happiest I have ever been in every aspect of my life. Henry, Peter, and you, even the team, I never thought I would have this, certainly not after spending more time apart from my husband than with him, not after spending so long cleaning up his mess. I want this, Robin, I'm not settling. Settling was letting Daniel come and go as he pleased and take a little bit more from us each time, settling was clinging to a mirage and closing myself to everything else."

She is fierce and proud, this Captain of his, Robin thinks as he listens to her speak, standing naked just at the edge of the water spray, looking at him intensely, leaving him no doubt as to the sincerity of her words.

"Since this, with you, is the happiest I have ever been as well, I would say we are a well assorted pair," he says, grabbing his clothes, and giving her a bright smile as he leaves the bathroom.

Regina shakes her head, bewildered, but also determined to get to the bottom of whatever has Robin acting this way. Still, she enjoys her shower, and takes time straightening her hair and applying her favourite scented lotion, simple rituals that allow her to clear her head after long days.

She feels calmer as she goes back to her bedroom, the appetizing scents of a dinner cooking filtering through the apartment watering her mouth. She finds a dress laid out on the bed, and she recognizes it instantly as the one she wore on their first date, their official one anyway- it was a largely accepted notion among their family and friends that they had been together long before they even knew it.

She puts it on, remembering clear as day when he invited her to the opening night of Granny's, once a little hole-in-the-wall diner owned by the same woman for forty years, and who graciously offered discounts to the members of the police force. When she retired, Ruby, her granddaughter, inherited the establishment and, while she kept the diner the way it was, she built next to it a much fancier restaurant which was quickly dubbed the most romantic place in town. Robin had been going to Granny's for decades, and Regina had been known to bring Henry there when she couldn't find the energy to cook. It was the perfect place for their new start, mingling the old memories with the promising new ones they intended to make.

Regina begins to picture a little more clearly what this is all about, and she feels her heart flutter at the thought. She smooths out invisible wrinkles on her dress, and steps out of her room, padding barefoot down the hall.

"Dinner is served, Milady," Robin greets her, and he has donned a familiar suit.

"This all feels like déjà-vu," Regina says, as she takes his arm and follows him to the balcony, where the warmer weather has allowed him to set a small table with two candlesticks and a fancy red cloth.

"But it kept you guessing, didn't it?" He is smiling, a warm, all-dimples smile lighting up his face. The strange cloud that seemed to be hanging over him all evening has lifted.

"It certainly has. However did you manage to arrange this?" She looks curiously between him and the covered plates on the table, the distinctive logo letting her know that they do indeed come from their favourite place.

"I had a little help from Peter and Ruby. I thought about booking a private room in the restaurant, but given how this case unfolded, a more intimate setting seemed to be the best way to go. Ruby offered to deliver, and your boy helped me set up," Robin explains, biting his bottom lip, trying to gauge her reaction. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" She exclaims. "Robin, we've been working exhausting hours on a tough case for days, and you still found the time to conspire with my son and a friend to organize this lovely evening, of course I love it!"

"It's no less than you deserve," he tells her, holding her hands, and bringing her close.

"You're getting soft in your old age," she teases him.

"I have always been an hopeless sap when it comes to you, Regina Mills, but I wouldn't mind being your sap for the rest of my days." He had a speech prepared, something he rehearsed in front of the mirror, but it seemed rather irrelevant in this moment. He knows she prefers genuineness anyway.

Regina holds her breath, as he slowly gets down on one knee, extracting a little blue box from his pocket.

"Regina, would you like to help me spoil my future grandkid and drink cocktails on the porch of the house on the beach you've always dreamt you'd retire to, until death do us part?"

As proposals go, this is certainly more original than Daniel's almost thirty years ago, and Regina lets out a watery chuckle as she imagines them, old and grey, with their families and friends gathered, laying picnic blankets on the sand, the grandkids swarming around them, their sons fighting over who gets to flip the meat on the barbecue while their partners shake their heads at their antics. It looks like heaven to her.

She nods, hoisting him up and clutching him to her. "Yes," she whispers in his ear. "I would love nothing more." She leans back after a minute, holding onto his shoulders. "Can I be the one who tells John?"

Robin bursts out laughing. "Anything you want," he replies, kissing her deeply.

They have spent a lifetime finding each other, but they have the next one to enjoy it.


End file.
